Conversion of hydrocarbon oils



Jan. 5,1937. J. c. MORRELL CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBON OILS Filed Dec'. 1, 1950 RACTIONATOR COND ER 25,

-29 FURNACE 14-, A0 6.30

h JVENTCR JACQUE C. MORRELL Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED PATENT orrica 2,066,693 CONVERSION or rmmocsnnon oms .iacque C. Morrell, Chicago, IlL, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Universal Oil Products Company, Chicago, IlL, a corporationof Delaware Application December 1, 1930, Serial No. 499,281 3 claims. (01. 196-48) This invention relates to the conversion of tion of the raw oil may be diverted from line 4 hydrocarbon oils, and relates more particularly and passed through a line 8, controlled by valve to the conversion of relatively heavy oils into 9 to a fractionator ill for preheating therein lighter and more valuable products. by contact with relatively hot vapors, assisting Among the objects of the invention is to pro-' in their factionation, and may pass from said 5 vide a process and apparatus wherein a wide fractionator, together with relatively heavy, inflexibility of operation in the treatment of hysufilciently converted fractions, through a line drocarbon oils may be effected, depending upon II, controlled by valve l2 to a pump it to thenature and characteristics of the oil and further treatment, as will hereinafter be more 10 the results desired. The invention contemfully described. 10

plates an operation wherein relatively high H i elem nt 7 m y be i p n y yields of distillates, such as motor fuel and conventional form of furnace It. The ofl supthe like, with relatively small yields of subplied thereto may b heated to any des red stantially dry coke and gas may be effected, conversion temperature and is preferably mainas well as an operation wherein,'in addition, tained under a substantial superatmospheric 15 substantial quantities of residual oils, such as pressure. The heated products from said heatfuel oil and the like, are produced. The reing element i may pass therefrom through a sidual products of the operation may be so line l5, controlled by a valve it, into a line it treated within the system as to eiiect their reand be passed to reaction chamber it. Chamgo duction to asphalt-like materials. ber i8 is preferably maintained under a subm;

I have found that these results may be obstantial superatmospheric pressure, which may tained by varying the operating conditions unbe substantially equal to. or lower than that der which the invention may be practiced in prevailing in heating element '17. The liquid treating a great variety of charging stocks, and and vaporized products from chamber it may as this flexibility of operation and the results obbe wit d awn fr m said r, pr ra y t at tainable thereby are among the important feaa point remote from their point of introduction tures of my invention. thereto, through a line it, controlled by a valve The primary concepts of the invention may '20, and passed to a vaporizing chamber in I comprise subjecting hydrocarbon oils to a conwherein separation occurs. to version temperature in aheating element, in- Chamber is preferably maintained under troducing the heated material into an enlarged a relatively reduced pressure, and, if desired, reaction chamber, withdrawing the products of may be maintained under substantially atmosreaction from said reaction chamber and inpheric or sub-atmospheric pressure. The unvatroducing the same into a vaporizing chamber, porized residual products from chamber 2! may it preferably -maintained under a reduced presbe withdrawn therefrom through a line 22 consure, subjectingthe vapors from said vaporizing trolled by valve 23, for further treatment, or chamber to fractionation to eilect separation sent to storage, as desired, or a regulation may of the desired relatively light portions from the be effected and conditions controlled within relatively heavy, insufilciently converted porchamber 2i 'so as to produce substantially dry so tions thereof, .subjecting said relatively light coke as the residual product therein. In these portions to condensation and cooling, collecting latter event, the residual, coke-like material may the resultant distillate and incondensable gas, be permitted to remain within said chamber 2i and subjecting said relatively heavy, insufii= until completion of the operation, and then ciently converted portions to reconversion in a removed therefrom. If desired, a plurality of 5 separate heating element, and selectively inchambers (not shown), similar to chamber El trcducing the heated products from said sepmay be utilized, either alternatively or in pararate heating element into the reaction chamallel, permitting a prolonged operation of the I her or vaporizing chamber, as desired. n process. 4

1 Referring to the accompanying drawing, il- Vapors from chamber .2! may be withdrawn iustrating one form of, apparatus in which the through a line 24, controlled by valve 25, and t0 invention may be carried out,raw oil charging may be subjected to fractionation in fractionator stock may be supplied through a line i, conill to effect separation of the relatively heavy, trolled by a valve 2 to a pump 3, and may pass insufliciently converted portions from the relathrough a line 4. controlled by valve 5, and a tively light portions thereof. "The relatively light line 6 to cheating element I. hny'desired porcomponents from said fraotionator It mayv be 5 withdrawn through a line 23, controlled by valve 21 and passed to a condenser 28 where they may be subjected to condensation and cooling. Condensed distillate and incondensable gas from said condenser may pass through a line 29, controlled by valve 30, and be collected in a receiver 3!, from which distillate may be withdrawn through a line 32, controlled by valve 33. Incondensable gas may be released from said receiver through a line 3 5, controlled by valve 35. Any desired amount of the distillate in receiver 3| may be withdrawn through a line 36, controlled by a valve 31 and passed via pump 38 through a line 39, controlled by a valve 40 to fractionator H] to assist in fractionation of the vapors therein.

The relatively heavy, insufiiciently converted portions forming reflux condensate, either separately or in admixture with portions of raw oil which may be supplied to fractionator Iii, may be withdrawn from said fractionator through a line H, controlled by valve I2 to a pump i3, as stated, to communicate with line 6 through which reflux condensate from fractionator Ii] may pass, together with raw oil supplied directly to this line from line ii, to heating element l. However, any desired portion or all of the reflux condensate, either alone or in admixture with any desired portion of the raw oil charging stock passing from said fractionator Ill through line ii, pump i3 and line 6, may pass through a line 32, con trolled by valve &3 to a heating element M.

Heating element 44% may be disposed in any conventional form of furnace 45 wherein oil may be raised to any desired conversion temperature under any desired pressure. Heating element 4 may be preferably maintained at a higher temperature than that employed in heating element F, while the pressure employed therein may be substantially the same or higher or lower, as desired, and may be substantially atmospheric or even sub-atmospheric. Heated products issuing from heating element 44 may be discharged through a line 46, controlled by valve 41, into a chamber 2|, or may pass from line 46 through a line 48, controlled by valve 49, into a line I! for passage into chamber I 8. If desired, the heated products from heating element 44 may be 'passed to lines 48 and 41 and chambers l8 and 2| respectively, concurrently.

Pressures employed within the system may a substantially lower pressure than that prevailing in chamber l8, and the succeeding fractionating, condensing and collecting equipment may be maintained under substantially the same pressure as chamber 2|. Conversion temperatures ranging from 750 to 1200 F., more or less may be employed in heating elements I and 44.

In a specific example of an operation in which the principles of the invention may be obtained, a 24-26 A. P. I. gravity charging stock was charged to the heating element 1, and a transfer temperature of approximately 915 F. was maintained, together with a pressure of about 300 pounds on said heating element and reaction chamber l8. Heating element 44 was maintained at a temperature approximately 1000 F.,.and a pressure of about 50 pounds per square inch was maintained thereon, and in vaporizer 2 l, with an equalized pressure on the fractionator, condenser and receiver.

Under these conditions, a yield of approximately 50% of motor fuel, having anti-knock value of approximately 65% benzol equivalent, (i. e., equal in anti-knock properties to a mixture of straight-run Pennsylvania gasoline and benzol containing 65% of benzol), and in addition, 25% of a heavy fuel oil residue was obtained. Substantially no coke was formed, and the remaining product was gas.

When the same conditions were employed, using a 40-44" A. P. I. gravity Pennsylvania fuel oil as a charging stock, 65% of gasoline having a benzol value of approximately 60% was obtained, and, in addition, approximately 15% of a good fuel oil was produced. Substantially no coke was formed, and the remaining product was gas.

It is to be understood that the above examples are merely illustrative of one mode of carrying the invention into effect, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the underlying principles thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. A process for the cracking of hydrocarbon oils, which comprises subjecting said 011 to cracking conditions of temperature in a heating zone, passing the heated products to an enlarged reac= tion zone where further cracking takes place, 9

maintaining superatmospheric pressure in the heating zone and in the reaction zone, introducing all of the products of reaction to a reduced pressure zone wherein vapors separate from nonvaporous residue, removing the non-vaporous residue and isolating same from the system, passing the evolved vapors from said reduced pressure zone to a fractionating zone where further separation occurs and wherein the heavier fractions condense as reflux condensate, passing regulated portions of the reflux condensate from said fractionating zone to a separate heating zone, subjecting said reflux condensate in said separate heating zone to further cracking at an elevated temperature higher than the temperature maintained in said first mentioned heating zone, and selectively directing said reflux condensate from said separate heating zone to the reaction zone and to the reduced pressure zone.

2. A process for the cracking of hydrocarbon oil, which comprises subjecting said 011 to cracking conditions in a heating zone, passing the heated products to an enlarged reaction zone where further cracking takes place, maintaining superatmospheric pressure in the heating zone and in the reaction zone, removing all of the products of reaction through a common outlet and introducing same to a zone of reduced pressure where vapors separate from non-vaporous residue,

passing the evolved vapors from said reduced pressure zone to a fractlonating zone where further separation occurs and where reflux condensate forms, passing regulated portions of the reflux condensate from said fractionating zone reaction zone and to the reduced pressure zone.

3. A process for the cracking of hydrocarbon oil, which comprises subjecting said oil to cracking conditions in a heating zone, passing the heated products to an enlarged reaction zone where turther cracking takes place, maintaining superatmospheric pressure in the heating zone and in the reaction zone, removing all of the productsof reaction at a. point remote from the point of where further separation occurs and where reflux condensate forms, passing regulated portions of the reflux condensate from said tractionating zone to a separate heating zone and there subjecting said reflux condensate to further cracking at an elevated temperature higher than the temperature maintained in said first mentioned 5 heating zone, and selectively directing said reflux condensate from said separate heating zone to the reaction zone and to the reduced pressure zone.

JACQUE c.' MORRELL. 1o 

